1. Technical Field
The invention relates to tank trailers and in particular to aerodynamic air deflectors mounted about a hatch assembly which surrounds one or more access ports on the top of the tank body to reduce air drag and increase fuel efficiency.
2. Background Information
It has become increasingly important to increase fuel efficiency of all vehicles including tank trailers to reduce the operating costs of trucking companies. One way of increasing fuel efficiency is to make the vehicles, including the cab and trailers pulled thereby, more aerodynamic thereby reducing wind drag and increasing fuel efficiency.
A considerable number of attachments have been made and used on the cabs and trailers to provide more aerodynamic surfaces, many of which have proved highly effective. However, one area that has yet to be addressed is the reduction of air drag caused by hatch assemblies which surround the access ports located on top of the tank body to provide access into the interior of the tank body. These hatch assemblies usually will have some type of upstanding walls or structure which are adjacent to and surround the access port openings to protect the hatch opening and to facilitate the loading of the material through the access port into the tank storage chamber. Although these hatch assemblies do not provide the large surface areas as do other portions of the tank body or cab such as the front blunt areas thereof, they do provide another area which causes wind drag thereby reducing fuel efficiency. Therefore, if the wind drag caused by these hatch assemblies can be reduced or nearly eliminated, it adds to the efficiency of the tank trailer in reducing fuel consumption.